Our Captains

The majority of my background as a Master has been commercial oil field related ships and overseas. Started in Southeast Asia and progressed or {Digressed} to West African and Central Africa. But the money was very good. I worked for Tidewater, Edison Chouest, TDI Brooks, Teekay and TOM. I did work for an outfit named Advanfort and brought my crew home. 

I have operated Harbor Tugs, Tractor Tugs, Anchor Handling Supply boats, Scientific Research Vessels, Salvage Tugs, Lightering Support Vessels and Security Vessels. I will have to spend a day looking up some of these boat spec sheets. I have held foreign Flag Licenses from Panama, Vanuatu, Belize and Sierra Leone. 

I developed a nitch market of working the West Africa Coast by learning what's called "The African Way". At first from a small group of mad monk types of Captains that had been working there for years. I also had many hard lessons leaning the different cultures in each country or port. When I mean hard, I mean being thrown in old jails and paying fines out of pocket. These kinds of things thinned the herd of most Yankey Captains, but I found I liked the Chaos of it all. The Business end was very challenging. Keeping the down time to zero on some old Americans made vessel that the owners wanted to get the last bit of life out of was a trick in logistics in a continent that is metric, uses 220 volts and a long long ways from parts. I never went to sea without a complete kit to exterminate cockroaches and Wick Fowler's 2 Alarm Chili Mix. Yes Sir, it was a challenge. Not to mention the privacy, civil unrest, malaria and diseases. And to think I tried to really hard to jump ship on my first voyage as a Mate to Africa from a shipyard in Louisiana. But like I said, I liked working in the Chaos. I was very successful and got a lot of job satisfaction out of it. 

Since buying this little sailboat almost three years ago on Christmas Night I have focused both eyes on her refit. Have spent over eighty thousand and counting and she is a fine yacht now. To do this I have needed to take on spot work now and again from Mom and Pop tug companies like McCulley Towing that runs up and down the ICW on both coasts of Florida where I have learned the local knowledge. I do work for Towboat US out of Miami now and again as a Mate on a utility boat they are trying to use as a tug. I have to confess I really have not enjoyed working for these people. I have had to do a lot of hard work to get and maintain my License and guard if like it's the crown jewels and have not been shy about calling out dodgy behavior. They hire me because they have to.  

Most recent I picked up a job with RQ Construction as a Mate on a tug towing a tug back Gitmo. A good outfit. I have been doing deliveries on a few small yachts {If the definition of a "Yacht" is a boat you don't work for a living}. I had no idea what to charge. I have even operated dry Tiki boats out of Jupiter and have to confess I really enjoyed it and the tips. Never had a job where I got a tips before. But found I was being typecast with prospects for work because of it. Go Figure?  

I studied the yacht industry and found it a hard life for the Captains and crew, They are trapped by not being able to get off because of the competition is fierce for these jobs. It's a lot harder life than your average 'hand knocks life' of your average Mariner. The mega yachts Captain can't own a car, dog or have a family for fear of losing their jobs due to the politics or the owner whims. 

What I would like out of a job is just do a successfully delivers of vessel anyplace in the word within my tonnage out of hurricane season and walk off to return to working on my own wreck. 

On the personal side. I'm single, don't smoke or drink. Have been married once and divorced twice.

Good safety record.

Traditional Roman Catholic.

Fair Cook.

Ex-Navy, Honorable discharged 1980, Boatswain Mate, Destroyers.

Have references from past employers while working in West Africa.

Oklahoma State Golden Gloves and AAU Boxing Champ 1974, {Man does that sound like a long time ago}

Have recently pasted the sails Axillary. but have yet to submit it. Just keep forgetting to do it.   

More of a sea story, 

Cheers,

Hugh 

PS: I recruited a Mate last night that has a 100 ton Oceans. May have a Captain / Mate with an unlimited for bigger jobs. I'm also hunting the prospects of an engineer type. 

If I need others, I might be able to get them. Have made a lot of Friends since moving here and try to keep in contact with fellow shipmate I liked.